2008: In Abstract - April
A funny thing happened toward the end of April with the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. Not only did it dominate the entertainment business, advertising, and expectations for the months leading up to it; it did all of those things in a way so massive that I can't recall another game that had such an impact on the mainstream. In fact, Hollywood producers set a new precedent by altering release dates so not to conflict with the release of GTA.
Although, it didn't pan out the way it was predicted, for weeks, I read how producers were worried that GTA would potential harm to the May 2, 2008 release of Iron Man. That's amazing because Iron Man was to usher in the summer movie free-for-all. It is interesting to see how much movies will be impacted by video game release dates. Though, it should be noted, that not all video games are GTA IV.
Of course, all with the impact on the entertainment industry, GTA IV got the panties-in-a-knot industry in an uproar, as well. It was the proverbial atomic-wedgie. People love to talk about the fact that the GTA series allows you to just walk around beating hookers and shooting cops. What the fail to mention, however, is that no one actually plays the games that way because that makes for a non-enjoyable experience constantly being chased by cops. The most violent game ever, if you ask, would be something from the Olsen Twins oeuvre. You buy GTA for the story, action, and ability to explore a living, breathing city. You buy bad games and they will make them want to kill people.
In Sports:
- The University of Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Memphis Tigers in the championship game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. This is more proof that March is terrible. The contest that is named March Madness doesn't even have a conclusion until April. Embarrassing.
- The Olympic torch relay hit SF in April. It was hilarious. Not only were there Tibet related obligatory protests, but also, the first runner in the relay disappeared into a warehouse and went on an alternate route to avoid the protest. Of course, to those following the announced route, this caused all kinds of confusion. Basically, an event was held that promoted to bystanders where to go to watch it, only the route was changed without notice to avoid protests. I just imagine the leg runners running around the city, their proudest moment, skirting in an out of back alleys. The Bay Area is awesome.
Click to viewBest Movie: There Will Be Blood - Yes, I know this came out in 2007, BUT...It came out on DVD in April, and it is awesome. So, so awesome. I wish Jonny Greenwood had won that Oscar he earned. I wish I lived in 1890s Texas, now. I wish I were an oil man. I wish I were as evil as Daniel Plainview. I wish I could play a snake as well as Paul Dano. I wish I had fucking milk shake. Baby Mama came out in theatres in April. It has been a pretty good year for Tina Fey, I'd say. More on that later.
Notable death: Charlton Heston - God damn him all to hell! I appreciated Charlton Heston because he was just a crazy dude who loved his guns and made some of my most favorite movies ever. But also, he had that awesome series where he read the Old Testament. It was like a comedy and a terrific horror film all in one. Nothing is scarier than the Old Testament and nothing is more terrifying than Charlton Heston reading it. And somehow, together, it is hilarious.
R.I.P., Chuck.
In Fittz news: Maybe the worst month of my life. Easily the longest. Moving on...